Northern Plains Electric Cooperative and solar
Northern Plains Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 10,472 homes in North Dakota. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 11.3¢8% below North Dakota average
- Typical bill
- $2131,875 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~26%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 20.4 yrs8.5 kW, cash
Export rules for Northern Plains Electric Cooperative customers
Avoided-cost export credit (North Dakota rule).
North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
Solar for a typical Northern Plains Electric Cooperative home
| System | 8.5 kW (50% of 1,875 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $24,750 |
| First-year savings | $1,274 |
| Payback | 20.4 years |
| 25-year net | $6,634 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 10,472
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Northern Plains Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Northern Plains Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Northern Plains Electric Cooperative follows North Dakota's rules: North Dakota's net metering rule only covers the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, Otter Tail, Montana-Dakota) for systems up to 100 kW. Solar you use at home offsets retail power, but extra energy left over each month is bought at the utility's low avoided-cost rate (a few cents per kWh).
How much does electricity cost with Northern Plains Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 10.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 11.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,875 kWh a month, a bill of about $213.
Is solar worth it with Northern Plains Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 8.5 kW system costing about $24,750 pays back in about 20.4 years, with $6,634 net over 25 years.
How many Northern Plains Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Northern Plains Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Northern Plains Electric Coop (EIA ID 13196). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.